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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29649069">take your time, but not too long</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weaseltotheface/pseuds/Weaseltotheface'>Weaseltotheface</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Morning After, bitches is CANON, post episode 126, spoilers for 126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:15:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29649069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weaseltotheface/pseuds/Weaseltotheface</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>post episode 126</p><p>The morning after sees yasha contemplating the eyes and being cute</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beauregard Lionett/Yasha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>243</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>take your time, but not too long</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yasha wakes slowly.</p><p>Consciousness ebbs and flows from her in the foggy morning space, rhythmic like the waves on the Nicodranas coast. </p><p>Rhythmic like…</p><p>Breathing?</p><p>She feels it then, the last edge of sleep fading away, slow and steady against her chest and neck. Puffs of air tickle the little hollow where her neck and shoulder meet, where Beau’s head is nestled near perfect against her. </p><p>A smile stretches across her face in the quiet, before she even opens her eyes. </p><p>It’s probably dorky and smitten in an embarrassing way, but she can’t bring herself to care when, as far as she knows, no one is watching. </p>
<p>She lets her fingertips trail over the dips and curves of Beau’s spine, catching on scars and scratches, letting herself enjoy the soft skin while she begins to wake. </p><p>Blurry with sleep, Yasha’s eyes blink open into the dim light of Beau’s chamber. Immediately, despite the haze that still clouds her vision, Yasha’s gaze meets her own in the reflection from the mirror hung above the bed. </p><p>The grin is, in fact, very dorky. </p><p>And Beau...</p><p>Beau is beautiful like this, her hair loose and cascading down her back, muscles pliable and content with sleep, draped over Yasha like a blanket. Her left hand rests, relaxed, over Yasha’s chest while the other hooks around a broad shoulder. Holding her close.  </p><p>The sight of the two of them tangled together, sheets slung low over Beau’s hips, the whole expanse of her well-muscled back on display is almost too much for Yasha to take so early in the morning.</p><p>Grin widening, she twists strands of Beau’s hair between her fingers and closes her eyes again, wondering if maybe the beat of her heart is loud enough to wake this whirlwind of a woman from her slumber. </p><p>She hopes not.  </p><p>They both really honestly need the rest. </p><p>A sigh heaves her chest at the thought, eyes opening again to rest on their reflection.</p><p>Red glows faintly from the back of Beau’s hand, from under her hair and Yasha can see her own expression darken. </p><p>Slowly, maybe without thought, Yasha tangles her hand around Beau’s where it rests on her chest. She lets her thumb stroke the unnaturally smooth plane of the blemish absentmindedly, letting the motion soothe her nerves. </p><p>It's ugly. </p><p>The eye.</p><p>Sitting there like it belongs, like it has a claim on that skin. </p><p>Like it has a claim on Beau. </p><p>She can feel the rage in her start to bubble at the thought of it.  That something thinks they can claim Beau. That they think they could ever break her down that far. </p><p>Rage is pointless of course, she knows it, even while it begins to simmer deep in her belly. </p><p>Rage didn’t protect her from this shit.</p><p>Yasha didn’t protect her. </p><p>“You know…” Beau’s voice comes, soft and quiet at Yasha’s throat. Her eyes still closed and body relaxed, “If you keep clenching your jaw like that you won’t have any molars left, babe.” </p><p>Out of reflex, Yasha pulls Beau closer to her in surprise.</p><p>“Shit, Beau. I didn’t know you were up.” </p><p>Beau hums, noncommittal, “Yeah, my passive perception is like, sky high. I woke up when you woke up, but I was having a good time.” </p><p>Yasha can feel the smile on Beau’s face against her chest as the monk snuggles closer and every tense muscle she didn’t know she had turns to jelly. </p><p>She can feel the flush rise to her cheeks at the same time she feels the ache of a truly dorky smile stretch her face. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you...” She murmurs, hiding her red face and grin as best as she can behind her own hand. </p><p>Striking blue eyes cut her off, peeking up at her through dark lashes. </p><p>“You don’t need to be sorry.” Beau says, laying a lingering open mouth kiss on her throat, over a bruise she had left the night before. “I said I was having a good time. I don’t really have much experience with….morning afters.” </p><p>“I-” Yasha stifles a gasp as Beau leaves another lingering kiss on the side of her throat. “I think you’re doing a g-great job with the morning after?” </p><p>Beau just smiles, soft and mischievous, and crawls up to kiss Yasha properly.  A languid slide of lips, unhurried. </p><p>“You think?” She asks, scraping her teeth over Yasha’s lower lip as she pulls back, breathless and watching. </p><p>Yasha’s eyes are dark and hooded and she licks over the sting. </p><p>“Y-yeah...a great job.” </p><p>Beau laughs, more high pitched than most would expect from her and as always the sound of it sends Yasha reeling, heart pounding through her chest. </p><p>“Good. I gotta be the best at stuff you know. That’s my thing.” Beau says lightly, tracing a finger along Yasha’s brow and down her nose, over her lips, until she cups her jaw in her hand. </p><p>“Now...you wanna tell me what’s wrong?” </p><p>Yasha’s brow furrows in confusion, “Nothing’s wrong? This is...this is the happiest i’ve been in...years.” </p><p>Beau’s smile is blinding and Yasha can’t stop herself from reaching out to touch it, her hand sliding against soft skin to cup her face.  </p><p>“I’m glad.” Beau murmurs, hiding her smile in Yasha’s callused palm, “Not...not that you haven’t been happy, obviously. But that...that I can make you happy.” </p><p>The moment is broken slightly when Beau uses the opening to bite down on Yasha’s palm.</p><p>“But don’t lie to me, babe.” She pinches Yasha’s cheek softly, “You had quite the thinking face on when you thought I was sleeping and people don’t get that tense for no reason.” </p><p>Frowning slightly, Yasha wipes the spit from Beau’s bite on the bedsheets. </p><p>“At first I thought maybe it was, I dunno, like...regret?” Beau continues, pointedly ignoring the widening of Yasha’s eyes, “But you don’t act the way you were acting with me when you regret the night before.”</p><p>She leans down for another light kiss.</p><p>“So...it’s gotta be something else then, what’s bothering you?” She asks, lips brushing lips. </p><p>The feeling is ticklish and Yasha makes a little sound, like a giggle, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth to soothe the prickling feeling. </p><p>Beau’s whole expression lights up at the sound, “Damn, you’re cute.” </p><p>Huffing, Yasha ducks to mouth at Beau’s neck, laughing at the resulting squeak.  “Says you.” </p><p>“Yep, says me.” Beau threads her fingers into Yasha’s thick hair and tugs, pulling her from her work, “C’mon, Yash.” </p><p>“Fine,” Yasha pouts, laying back on the pillows, “It’s really nothing important though. Really. Nothing new.” </p><p> Beau nods, face slack and open, “I’d still like to know. That’s the point right? Of this?” </p><p>“Yeah...I guess it is.” Yasha smiles at her, soft and warm. “I was...I was just worrying again. About everything.” </p><p>“The eyes?” </p><p>The question is leading, she obviously already knows the answer is yes. </p><p>“...Yeah.” Yasha runs her thumb along the back of Beau’s neck, “I...I couldn’t protect you from this. I can’t protect you from this. It feels...like I failed you somehow? Even though that’s....it’s kind of stupid.”</p><p>“Oh, babe.” Beau snuggles down under her chin, evidently deciding that the eye contact might be a bit overwhelming. “You haven’t failed anything. I love how much you want to protect the people you care about, you know that already. But there was no way for you to have prevented this. Only I could have prevented it.” </p><p>Yasha’s fingers twitch against Beau’s back, begging to form a fist, “I...logically I know that. But I want you safe so bad...I don’t know how to reconcile it.” </p><p>A beat passes.</p><p>“You love me, right?” Beau asks softly, watching herself trace patterns into Yasha’s skin.</p><p>Yasha’s reply is choked off, like she barely even took a breath before replying.</p><p>“I do. Of course I do.”</p><p>Beau smiles.</p><p>“And I love you. And that means maybe...maybe we protect each other right? You don’t have to take the mantle on yourself. You can’t protect me from this and I know it kills you. But we can protect each other in other ways. In and out of battle.” </p><p>Nodding, Yasha quickly presses a kiss to the crown of Beau’s head. </p><p>“I’m in this til the end, Yash.” Beau’s lips graze a sensitive spot of soft skin on Yasha’s clavicle and she watches amused when goosebumps ripple up and down the pale arms holding her, “I won’t let you live alone again. I’m getting out of this in tact and so is everyone else, even if I have to drag them kicking and screaming out of the Raven Queen’s realm myself.” </p><p>The chuckle that reverberates through Yasha’s chest is wet sounding. </p><p>“You’re really one of a kind, aren’t you.” Her voice is choked but the fondness is weaved through every syllable.</p><p>“Damn straight, I am.” </p><p>“Maybe straight is not the word.” Yasha chuckles at her own joke. </p><p>Beau laughs that high pleased laugh again and warmth spreads through Yasha like a wildfire. </p><p>“You’re right, you’re right.” Beau peers up at her again, eyes dark. “We have time for me to show you how not straight I can be before the others want breakfast.” </p><p>She wiggles her eyebrows for effect and Yasha snorts.</p><p>“I think...I think I’d like to just lay with you for a while.” Yasha replies, “I am sorry for...being weird on our first morning after you know? I’d like to do it more properly.”</p><p>Beau sighs and snuggles in, “That’s fine. You weren’t being weird though. We’re in a shitty situation. We’re gonna make the most of it though.” </p><p>“Yeah...ok.” </p><p>Yasha pulls the sheets up farther, hunkering down. </p><p>“How much time do you think we have until the others want us back?” </p><p>Beau snorts, “Fuck, Yash I don’t know, do I look like Caleb?” </p><p>“Hmm...no. I’m very glad you don’t look like Caleb.” </p><p>“Oh my gods, babe. Thank you for that. Let’s just sleep or cuddle or whatever you want til it’s time ok?” </p><p>“But how will we know, you know?” Yasha murmurs, fingers tapping along Beau’s side. </p><p>“Are you being a brat on purpose?” </p><p>Yasha grins.</p><p>“Maybe.” </p><p>Beau glares up at her from her very comfortable spot on her chest, “Seriously?” </p><p>She gets a cheeky smile in response.</p><p>“Wow. Ok. You know that’s a really rude thing to do to someone who learned just last night that you’re really ticklish right...here.” </p><p>Yasha lets out a muted squeal as Beau prods her in the ribs.</p><p>“That’s not fair, you’re not ticklish.” </p><p>Beau grins, “Monk training, baby.” </p><p>“Ok ok. I’ll stop, you stop too please no more tickling.” </p><p>Winking, Beau agrees, sinking back into the warm embrace waiting for her. </p><p>“Love you.” </p><p>“I love you, too, Beau.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>maybe i didn't edit this, you can probably tell. but FUCK THEY'RE CANON I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING I GUESS?? sorry if this doesn't make a ton of sense</p></blockquote></div></div>
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